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->''"When the first living thing existed, I was there, waiting. When the last living thing dies, my job will be finished. I'll put the chairs on tables, turn out the lights and lock the universe behind me when I leave."''-->-- '''Death''', ''ComicBook/TheSandman''[[note]]Also quoted by Creator/TerryPratchett in virtually the same words in ''Discworld/{{Eric}}'' It is possible this is homage but from whom to who?.[[/note]]%%%% One quote is sufficient. Place any extras in the quotes tab.

The mascot of death. The nature and purpose of the Grim Reaper varies between two different versions: one version describes him as a simple guide, the being who takes you to the next world after you die (the fancy word for this is ''{{psychopomp}}''); the other sees him as the entity of death -- you die when he touches you.

Either way, he is generally seen as a tall, [[DemBones often skeletal]], spectre in a black [[InTheHood hooded]] [[BlackCloak robe]], who wields a SinisterScythe when he visits commoners and a sword when he visits royalty, though the scythe is the most common of his symbols. He is also often shown with an [[DeathsHourglass hourglass]] as a symbol of elapsing life. These dual accouterments are OlderThanSteam, but both were drawn from the ancient Greco-Roman god Χρόνος (Chronos). This god, in turn, was drawn from the UrExample of the Sassanid sect's Zoastrian god Zurvan Akarana. He is sometimes described as mute, and in some accounts you can [[ChessWithDeath challenge him to a game of chess for the right to stay alive]].

Often he picks up the characteristics of Charon, the boatman of the river Styx in Greek theology, but even these characteristics are filtered through a [[HijackedByJesus Christian veil]], i.e. "angel of death". The Grim Reaper, in his days as a frequent figure of folk tales, was originally used as a menacing, sombre symbol of the inevitability of death. He first appeared in Western art and folklore with the outbreak of the mid-fourteenth century plague epidemic known to us as the Black Death.

As with most folklorish characters, he has many and diverse characterizations. He may be sinsister or come across as [[PalsWithJesus friendly]]. He may even be played for laughs as a [[PunchClockVillain bored civil servant type]]. Still other representations of death forgo the neutral or buffoonish guise and make Death a GodOfEvil that [[EnemiesWithDeath must be fought]], i.e. EveryoneHatesHades. Others go the other way and say DontFearTheReaper; instead of evil, he is benevolent.

A frequent variation is the notion that instead of ''the'' Grim Reaper, there is ''a'' [[GodJob Grim Reaper]] - that it's a position offered to certain people after they die.

When this concept was imported to Japan in the 19th century, they translated the name as ''{{Shinigami}}'' (while typically translated as ''god of death'', it is literally ''death [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kami kami]]'', which doesn't have quite the same connotations). Japanese media then proceeded to play with the character to the point that many shinigami no longer have anything in common with the Grim Reaper, aside from the name. ''Shinigami'' are more typically spirits associated with death, rather than being the singular AnthropomorphicPersonification thereof. Thus, the concept of being able to defeat or kill Death in combat (''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'') or Grim-Reaper figures themselves being able to die (''Manga/DeathNote'') can seem absurd to Western viewers.

A subtrope of {{Psychopomp}}. Compare to HorsemenOfTheApocalypse for when the rest show up, and AfterlifeExpress, when the Grim Reaper is or rides on a vehicle, especially a train. See also ArchangelUriel, EnemiesWithDeath and TheProblemWithFightingDeath. For the DeathMetal band, see Music/{{Death}}. As with most public services, expect [[HilarityEnsues hilarity to ensue]] if DeathTakesAHoliday. A kinder interpretation may portray him as TheSacredDarkness.

'Death' redirects here. If this isn't what you were looking for, try DeathTropes.

----!!Examples:[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Advertising]]* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U219eUIZ7Qo Australia had a landmark 1987 AIDS education ad which portrayed the Reaper going bowling... with people as pins.]]* An ad for an SUV portrayed driving it as so much fun it filled even Death with the joy of life: he's first seen looming over a baby bird ... which he picks up and gently replaces in the nest from which it'd fallen.* The [=PSA=] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg6IVUvVsAs "dark and lonely water"]] features Donald Pleasance dressed up as Death ("The spirit of dark and lonely water") who then proceeds to monologue about the children who he's here to reap.* Another advertisement featured the grim reaper getting kicked out of a house ''HomeAlone'' style, by the same CoolOldGuy he wanted to take. The reaper had no idea the Cool Old Guy had just bought some handy tools from the company the ad was advertising, and used them to booby trap the entire house.* There was a {{P|ublicServiceAnnouncement}}SA shown in theatres that warned about the dangers of trains, showing a nervous man playing cards with the Grim Reaper interspersed with a car racing to a road/railroad crossing. It ends with the man crushed, the Reaper laughing, and the car getting nailed by the train. The title card at the end said "Why gamble with Death?" Yes, ''title card'': this [=PSA=] was filmed in the era of SilentFilms.* In New Zealand's "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUwB5OjwVGM&playnext=1&list=PLC69D99681DB44A8B Wheel of Misfortune]]" [=PSA=], Death is a carnie sitting at a traffic intersection next to a wheel with alternating slots for 'near miss', 'minor crash', 'major crash', and 'death' (and, in a single teeny tiny slot, 'miracle'). Every time someone makes a stupid decision, he puts his hand on the wheel and gives it a spin.* a UK advert for a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTGsd4UjqFc&sns=em financial planning]] company has a man on a train get a warning that he should make some changes to his lifestyle.* Another UK advert aimed at soldiers returning from duty features the Grim Reaper - here he is portrayed as a 20-something man who is dressed in black modern clothes, is foul-mouthed and smokes cigarettes. In the advert, he first shows an elderly woman who has died and an obese man who is going to die and collapse after overdoing it while exercising. The advert then cuts to Iraq with a young British soldier called Tommy who later survives and comes back home, with the Grim Reaper stating how Tommy has got into the mindset that he is 'indestructible' as he has survived Iraq. After watching him nearly have a collision with another driver (a woman with a baby) due to being on his mobile while driving (the grim reaper is unseen by Tommy or anyone else), the scene then cuts to later that evening when Tommy is out with his mates after drinking at the pub. Driving away with the music blaring, the Grim Reaper shouts "You're gonna die!" before moments later, the car veers off the road and smashes into a tree. As Death looks at the aftermath of the impact, he sees Tommy now dead on the ground and states "Turns out he wasn't so indestructible after all". Checking out the wreck, one of Tommy's mates is still alive although the Grim Reaper states he will have to live out the rest of his life in a Wheelchair - "although its better than nothing". Leaning against the wreck, he then looks at the camera and breaks the fourth wall by stating "What about you? Fancy your chances?" The advert then warns that Soldiers are twice as likely to have an accident as civilians, adding 'You may be tough, but you're not indestructible'.* Palyed for laughs in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkLWnx3ILtQ this beer commercial]]. The protagonist fails to die even after having a bike accident, getting hit by a car, hit by a meteor and hit by lightning, because the Grim Reaper is having a beer.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]* Tagmec, Knight of Parca (no, not [[ParcaKnight that one]]) from Kishiro Yukito's ''Manga/AquaKnight''. [[VerbalTic Bone]].* Death shows up to claim Nube halfway through the ''Manga/HellTeacherNube'' manga. She's a cute, cheerful girl dressed in a black robe with skull motifs, [[{{Meganekko}} huge glasses]], with a taste for parfaits and confectioneries. And a huge scythe.* Lord Death in ''Manga/SoulEater'' is your standard-looking Grim Reaper, though with a goofy looking face as not to frighten the students of the ExtranormalInstitute he founded. He is also surprisingly {{badass}} if you provoke him, even ripping off a powerful Demon's SKIN and sealing said demon in a sack made of its own skin. In a series with many {{Equippable All|y}}ies, his partner is a scythe. But he also has a hammer, a sniper crossbow that shoots explosives, a guillotine, and a ''[[ImprobableWeaponUser mirror]]''. He has a son who's referred to as Death the Kid, who is eventually supposed to succeed him. Worth noting is that while are both {{Physical God}}s, it's possible for either one to die, [[spoiler:and once Kid gains his full power, Death automatically dies]].* The Grim Reaper is the cloaked, silent, skeletal form at England's bedside in ''Manga/AxisPowersHetalia''. He is moved to tears by England's "last words" (or his inability to finish them) to America. [[spoiler: England doesn't die.]]* In ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'', Botan is the equivalent of a Grim Reaper... although she doesn't look the part. Or act it. At all.* In ''Manga/ZombieLoan'' the Grim Reaper shows up and seems kinda menacing. Later his soul is stolen, so he turns into a chibi, no one feels threatened by him anymore. An [[CutenessProximity incredibly adorable]] (and irritable) chibi.* Dominikov of ''Manga/MurderPrincess'' [[spoiler:(At least in the Manga)]] is a "Shinigami" who resembles a diminuative skeleton carrying a large scythe and [[RuleOfCool able to conjure a spirit-powered motorcycle in a medieval setting]]. Amazingly for a manga, he actually reaps souls frequently, even going out of his way to do so.* ''Manga/BlackButler'' has more than one Grim Reaper appear throughout the show. Though they aren't what you'd expect. They are almost all {{Bishounen}} males who wear (And in Williams case ''[[BlindWithoutEm need]]'') glasses, and wield odd weapons such as [[ChainsawGood chainsaws (Grell)]] and a ''Lawnmower'' (Ronald Knox.) ''The'' Grim reaper himself does appear, though he's known better as [[spoiler: The Undertaker]]* ''Manga/{{Rinne}}'': Shinigami are the shepherding type. They aid souls to [[UnfinishedBusiness complete their business]] and move on to the wheel of samsara. Because shinigami have quotas to fill some shinigami go bad and become known as Damshigami instead. Instead of acting as a {{psychopomp}} a damashigami actively leads humans to their death so as to pad out their quotas. In shinigami society they are considered criminals. TheHero of the story is Rinne, part human and part shinigami, whose grandmother is a well-respected full-blooded shinigami and whose [[HalfHumanHybrid father]] is a well-respected ''damashigami'' (well-respected in damashigami circles, that is, making him one of the biggest lowlifes of the entire story).** Takuto is also a shinigami but he's still in training so his ears and wings aren't real.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]* In ''{{Preacher}}'', the Angel of Death expresses disinterest in the position he was assigned to and gives it over to the man who would become the Saint of Killers. The former actually looks like an angel and used a sword, while the latter retains his cowboy appearance from his mortal times and the sword is reforged into twin revolvers for him. Clearly, neither conform to the stereotype.* Death is one of several personifications of abstract concepts who appear in the MarvelUniverse. She has even been killed off herself, twice--both times with disastrous results.** During the second ComicBook/SecretWars crossover, the Beyonder did this, but was convinced that life was meaningless without death, and restored her to existence.** Death was destroyed by the Ultimate Nullifier at the end of [[EarthX Universe X]], freeing the dead to travel to a new heavenly dimension--but dooming the living to suffer eternally if mortally wounded. Much of the plot of Paradise X revolved around finding a replacement Death, then dealing with the chaos when Jude didn't restrict himself to people who were supposed to have died.** ''TheThanosImperative'' is about a universe where Death was killed, turning the universe into an undying CosmicHorrorStory. Then they find the main Marvel universe.** And apparently, {{Deadpool}} is in love with her. Thanos loves her as well, however, and cursed Deadpool with immortality so he couldn't steal his girl. Or at least, [[UnreliableNarrator that's Deadpool's story]].** In addition to Death herself, psychopomps show up as well, apparently working for Oblivion. Deathurge was one of these, until he lost a fight with his childhood friend [[GreatLakesAvengers Mr Immortal]]; the post is then offered to Doorman.** Toward the end of ''Comicbook/{{Siege}}'', NormanOsborn claims that TheSentry is Death, and it was implied at one point in the preceding ''Comicbook/DarkReign'' MythArc that he was the one who [[Literature/TheBible brought the plagues to Egypt]]. How he fits in the hierarchy of the other various death-related beings is still unexplored and, [[DeathIsCheap until he recovers from his recent death]], probably never will be.* The DC universe has more deaths than you can shake a stick at. ** Death as seen in the ''[[Comicbook/TheSandman Sandman]]'' universe is one of the Endless. She's a pretty and [[DontFearTheReaper friendly]] PerkyGoth, and is the ultimate personification of death in the DC universe, trumping, according to the [[Creator/NeilGaiman author]], everyone else. Accordingly, she is the last thing any person ever sees. On the subject of ComicBookDeath she takes [[TimeAbyss the long view on such matters]], reasoning that in the end ''everyone'' dies and if they so happen to [[DeathIsCheap make a few side trips]] in the mean time no skin off her back, she can wait. --> '''LexLuthor''': The dead have come back to life! Several of them!\\'''Death''': It happens! In the end, they all come back to me. *** Her dissimilarity to traditional concepts of death is constantly being lampshaded. In the Season of Mists arc, after her big brother Destiny tells her she should be more formally dressed for a family meeting, she balks, saying that next he'll be "moaning that [she] ought to get a scythe" after the manner of a traditional Grim Reaper. In the Thessaliad spinoff series, the character Fetch complains that "Death should be bones and black robes and scythes", to which his cohort Thessaly replies "Maybe she wants to make sure everyone is guaranteed at least one hot date before they cease to exist".*** In the spin off ''Death: At Death's Door'' by Jill Thompson, [[spoiler: Hell closes, sending all its inhabitants to various places and some of them end up in Death's realm because she's familiar]]. A being asks who Death is, and introduces herself as such. Cue him being unimpressed and commenting, "Sure, you and all the other goth chicks that choked on their own vomit.". [[spoiler: She then shifts to wearing a large billowy cloak and hood decked out in skulls, chains, and a huge scythe.]] He then believes her.** There's a special grim reaper, the Black Flash, specializing in speedsters (like the Flash) who would presumably be too fast to be caught by the normal Death. [[Awesome/TheFlash They've still outrun it occasionally though.]] There is also the Black Racer the Death of the Comicbook/NewGods, who might be the same being. There is also a variety of other death gods for the real-world pantheons.** While Nekron (The Lord of the Unliving) didn't start out as a Grim Reaper ''per se'', he certainly went to some lengths to evoke this idea in BlackestNight; he even had a scythe this time, and was an awful lot more grim than the average grim reaper. ''So'' grim, in fact, that where most reapers settle for one soul at a time, or perhaps a city, or maybe a planet if they're feeling up to it, Nekron intended to kill the actual essence of life itself (ironically, this would mean his target is Death of the Endless) - to make life a metaphysical impossibility in his universe. ''Ouch''.*** However, Nekron wasn't really representative of ''death'' so much as [[TheNothingAfterDeath the absence of life]].* Brazilian comic ''[[ComicBook/MonicasGang Penadinho]]'' (known in English as ''Bug-a-booo'') has comedic versions of many stock horror characters. One of them is The Grim Reaper himself - or '''her'''self, as it is a female version, Dona Morte (in English, ''Lady [=McDeath=]'') who is clumsy and is always running after her "next clients", since no one wants to die. She also appears in stories of the same author whenever someone mentions death.* [[TheWarlord Travis Morgan]] was once visited by a gorgeous Death, as {{Stripperific}} as any other woman in that series, who invited, "Come to me, my love!" and then took him through a [[RecapEpisode vision]] of his past. He refused to go with her and recovered from his illness at the end of the issue.* ''ComicBook/SpirouAndFantasio'' get to meet the Ankou, a Bretonian psychopomp who drives a great carriage and looks like a shadow.* In the Italian comic series ''ComicBook/DylanDog'', the title character has Death as one of his archenemies.** Not exactly an ArchNemesis. Death is a TrueNeutral who has its job to do and Dylan just happens to cross its path several times.* In ''This Magazine is Haunted'', Dr. Death is the personification of death. He is both a psychopomp and sometimes the bringer of death. He can appear both as a skeletal figure or as a human.* ''ComicBook/ChickTracts'': The Grim Reaper makes appearances frequently, usually accompanied by his catchphrase "Hi there!"* ''FunkyWinkerbean'' had [[FanNickname "Masky McDeath",]] a Grim Reaper dressed like ThePhantomOfTheOpera, come to claim Lisa.* [[http://stuartngbooks.com/images/detailed/18/quino_dejenme_2.jpg Recurring]] [[http://www.jornaldosespiritos.com/cartoon/quino1.jpg character]] [[http://files.myopera.com/cabernet/albums/20735/El%20hijo%20de%20la%20Muerte%20-%20Quino.png in the]] [[http://img25.imageshack.us/my.php?image=quino1.jpg strips by]] ''{{Quino}}''.* In the last story (by Creator/WilhelmBusch) about Tobias Knopp. Guess how it ends.* In a kind of ImagineSpot, he's watching Comicbook/{{Empowered}} and Thugboy having sex.* In the ''{{Blacksad}}'' comics Death himself hasn't shown up so far, but [[spoiler:Faust [=LaChapelle=]]] dons a costume in his image to go around incognito. Death apparantly looks like a man with a goat skull in the ''Blacksad'' universe, merging some of the imagery with that of traditional Western depictions of {{Satan}}.* Azrael, The Angel of Death, makes an appearance in Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel ''Chicken With Plums''. Even though he looks dark and demonic, (like a shadow with horns) he's [[DontFearTheReaper actually a friendly, easygoing guy]] who talks Nasser Ali out of suicide. He also tells him the ArabianNights tale "Appointment in Samarra".* Deathface Ginny from ''ComicBook/PrettyDeadly'' is the daughter of Death.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]* ''WesternAnimation/FernGullyTheLastRainforest'': Hexxus' true form seems to be a giant burning skeleton with a cloak of tar. He's specifically mentioned to be the ancient embodiment of destruction, but it wouldn't take a leap of faith to infer that Hexxus' purpose is to bring about [[OmnicidalManiac the end of life itself]].[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]* ''Film/TheSeventhSeal''. [[ChessWithDeath Chess]].* In ''Film/BlackOrpheus'', a SettingUpdate placing the Orpheus and Eurydice myth in Brazil, the Reaper is stalking Eurydice while dressed as a skeleton for Carnaval.* In ''Film/ThePoorLittleRichGirl'', Mary Pickford's AdventuresInComaland end with the Grim Reaper (unusually, here portrayed as a woman) appearing and offering "eternal sleep". A fairy that seems to represent the Reaper's [[EvilCounterpart Good Counterpart]] then appears and lures Mary back to the side of life.* In ''Film/BillAndTedsBogusJourney'', the boys get to come back from the dead after [[ChessWithDeath beating the Grim Reaper at various games]], including Twister and Clue. (A ShoutOut to ''The Seventh Seal''.) The Grim Reaper then helped them deal with the villains and joined their band. He later [[spoiler:wins the Indy 500 on foot and gets caught in a lip-syncing scandal.]]** William Sadler's portrayal of the Grim Reaper also got him a GuestHost spot on an episode of ''TalesFromTheCrypt'' as Death.* Loki, Matt Damon's character in ''Film/{{Dogma}}'', is said to have formerly been the angel of death, having been dismissed by {{God}} after the Exodus. That a replacement had not been appointed in the 3500 years since suggests to Loki that his talents were not adequately appreciated.* Parodied - with a ShoutOut to ''Film/TheSeventhSeal'' - in ''Film/LastActionHero'' in which Death (Ian [=McKellen=]), as a character, actually escapes the movie ''The Seventh Seal'', and comes walking down the street. As he touches some people, they drop dead.* Death is the antagonist in the ''FinalDestination'' movies. Unusually, Death is presented as what can only be described as a "force" rather than [[AnthropomorphicPersonification as a person]] (although WMG has sprung up in relation to Tony Todd's character about this). "It" is usually seen as wind, though the other elements like to get in on the action too; generally speaking, water works to fake out the audience, sometimes teaming up with its old friend electricity, whilst wind, fire and earth lay the ''real'' DisasterDominoes.* In ''Film/APrairieHomeCompanion'', a movie with themes of mortality (the end of a show, the end of an era, the end of a life...) that happens to be RobertAltman's last film (Oh dear...), Death looks like... Virginia Madsen. She is an Angel of Death present at the final taping of the titular show who was once human. (She had heard a joke on the show so funny that she flipped her car, but hearing the joke again post-mortem, she couldn't see what was so funny about it.) Guy Noir convinces her to ferry away a visiting executive who will be destroying the theater PHC called home, and she happily agrees, knowing it [[YouCantFightFate won't change the ultimate outcome]]. She claims her name is "Asphodel", a MeaningfulName with a reference to both the flower Asphodel and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azrael Azrael]], the traditional Angel of Death.* Death in Woody Allen's ''Film/LoveAndDeath'' parodies ''TheSeventhSeal'' yet again.* ''Film/MontyPythonsTheMeaningOfLife'':The GR is designed by Creator/TerryGilliam and voiced by Creator/JohnCleese, and gets extremely annoyed when a bunch of dinner guests would rather argue with him than just die like they're supposed to.--> ''"There's a Mister Death here; he's here about the reaping? I don't think we need any at the moment..."''* ''Film/TheRightStuff'' has a character (listed in the credits as "Minister") with strong, symbolic Grim Reaper-ish overtones. He wears a plain black suit and tie, and first appears to tell a young Air Force bride that she's just become an Air Force widow. He is silent while doing so, but is then seen singing "The Navy Hymn" (suitably adapted for the Air Force) at his funeral, and then shortly thereafter enjoying a cold one at Pancho's. Then, as Chuck Yeager taxis away to try to become the first pilot to break the sound barrier, he's seen on the edge of the tarmac ...* In the Italian horror film ''Film/CemeteryMan'', the protagonist Francesco Dellamorte meets the Grim Reaper twice.* In Irish crime comedy ''PerriersBounty'' Jim Broadbent's character claims to have met the GrimReaper and describes him as an ordinary man in a suit. [[spoiler: we don't see him but he's seemingly Irish since his ''[[{{Narrator}} voice]]'' is done by Gabriel Byrne]].* Many people interpret Anton Chigurh to be a representation of this in the novel and film ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen''.* ''Film/MeetJoeBlack'' makes for two possible inversions. The first is when a character asks Death how he can take on a human form and explore the world but still keep his rather important job, and Death replies by saying that he's entirely capable of doing both at once. The second is that if Death looked like Brad Pitt (and Joe's personality was quite nice and kind), people would possibly be a little less afraid of meeting him.* The Swedish silent movie ''Körkarlen'' (from 1921, ''The Phantom Carriage'' in English) involves the soul of dying man following Death's coachman around picking up the dead - and seeing the consequences of his own bad life. Here, the driver of the "phantom carriage" is the last man to die each year.* Appears briefly in ''Film/{{Metropolis}}''.* The short film ''Deathdealer: A Documentary'' (2004) follows a somber door-to-door salesman who over the course of the film is revealed to be the Angel of Death himself, wrestling with the question of the morality of his work in to-the-camera interviews with the director. And he's played by HenryRollins at his most soft-spoken. [[spoiler: It doesn't end well for the film crew.]]* The jolly ferryman [[LittleMissBadass the protagonist]] and her friends meet after swimming out to sea to find their destiny in ''Film/BeastsOfTheSouthernWild'' has many traits in common with a typical depiction of Death. He wears all black, tells the girl his boat can take people "anywhere," even to her deceased mother, implies he's very, very old, and the place he ultimately drops the girls off is a bar called "[[GeniusBonus The Elysian Fields]]." [[spoiler:They're ultimately revealed to not be dead, though, so [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane maybe sometimes a jolly ferryman is just a jolly ferryman]]]].* In the surrealistic film ''Film/TheEmptyMirror'', Adolf Hitler is trying to write his memoirs in a Purgatory-like cave. Death appears several times as a WomanInBlack wielding a knife and apparently approving of all the destruction he wrought, although Hitler is equally intrigued by and terrified of her.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Folklore & Religion]]* Charon, the ferryman who takes the dead to the underworld in GreekMythology, is probably the TropeCreator. He is often represented in a skeletal figure dressed in dark robes with a long pole by which he steers his barge.** In Greek mythology, death itself - ''Thanatos'' - is a minor deity but he looks like a handsome bearded man with large wings.* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankou Ankou]], from the folklore of Brittany, [[http://www.ph-ludwigsburg.de/html/2b-frnz-s-01/overmann/baf4/bretagne/le_char_de_l_ankou%5B1%5D.jpg shares many traits with the Reaper]], and may have been an inspiration.* The Mexican cult of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Muerte Santa Muerte]].* ''Literature/TheBible'' mentions [[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+5%3A25-27&version=NIV an angel who is either associated with Jesus, or Jesus himself (son of man)]], [[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2014:%2014-20&version=KJV wielding a scythe ready to reap the grapes of wrath]], [[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+6%3A9-11&version=NIV symbolizing the killing all of the earth dwellers who martyred of all of the Christians]]. He's definitely identified in the Book of Revelation as one of the HorsemenOfTheApocalypse, and in fact the only one to be explicitly named. Here he's associated with Hell. Also, in Roman Catholicism ArchangelMichael and Archangel Samael are respectively considered to be the good and the bad Angel of Death.* In Islamic mythology Azrael is considered the Archangel of Death.* Death is the narrator of "[[http://www.k-state.edu/english/baker/english320/Maugham-AS.htm Appointment in Samarra]]", a story retold by W. Somerset Maugham in 1933, itself based on an old Middle Eastern story.* Averted by anthropomorphic personifications of death that look nothing like the Grim Reaper:[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]* Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Death is a character in his own right, with thoughts, feelings (sort of), and a genuine personality. He's the central figure of several books in the series, and has appeared in almost every book (even if only for a line or two). Oh, and he [[AC:Always speaks in small caps]], how the author depicts "a voice like lead slabs falling on a marble floor." Death is one of the most likable and sympathetic characters in the series, to the extent that [[DaydreamBeliever Pratchett fans due to meet the real one soon have expressed their hopes that he's like the one in the novels.]] For [[AC:"What can the harvest hope for, if not for the care of the Discworld/ReaperMan?"]]** Although Death is largely a nice person, you ''really'' [[BewareTheNiceOnes don't want to get him mad]]. The Auditors of Reality have discovered this several times over, and a good guy like the titular protagonist of ''Discworld/{{Mort}}'' can get on his wrong side with near-fatal results.** Though Death performs his duty for every living thing on the Disc, from humans to tube worms, his brief retirement in ''Discworld/ReaperMan'' left a void that was filled with a separate Death for every creature: Death of Rats ([[AC:Squeak]]), Death of Mayflies (a trout), Death of Trees (a chopping sound), and so on, to say nothing of the malevolent, [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Witch King-like]] replacement Death of Humans. When he returned, Death recalled all of them... except for Death of Rats[[note]]and the Death of Fleas[[/note]]. It's a lonely, eternal job, and it's nice to have someone to share it with[[note]]Notably, the Death of Rats was the only new Death shown to use the same style of presentation as the old Death, just with a rat-sized rat-skeleton instead of a human one.[[/note]].** Death's boss is Azrael, the Death of Universes, a being so colossal that galaxies appear as twinkles in his eye, and it takes a whole page to contain a single-word reply to a question. Also, he has a clock -- ''the'' clock -- which tells Time what ''it'' is.* Pratchett also used another more TrueNeutral version of Death in ''Literature/{{Nation}}'', called Locaha. [[UnreliableNarrator Who may or may not exist.]]* The [=Pratchett/=]NeilGaiman novel ''Literature/GoodOmens'' concerns Armageddon, so Death features as one of the Four Horsemen (or motorbikers) of the Apocalypse. He doesn't get as much page time as the others because he's always busy, but shares the Death of Discworld's [[AC:accent]] and occasional sense of humor.** Towards the climax he reveals that, in spite of his position with the Four Horsemen, he is not like the others. Whereas his three companions are more or less [[AnthropomorphicPersonification manifestations of facets of humanity]], Death is actual the angel Azrael, with wings of darkest blackness. When the others are defeated, he [[DontFearTheReaper congratulates]] [[AntiAntiChrist Adam]] and leaves.-->[[AC:I am Azrael, created to be creation's shadow. You cannot destroy me. That would destroy the world.]]* In Piers Anthony's ''[[Literature/IncarnationsOfImmortality On a Pale Horse]]'', the office of Death passes from one holder to the next when [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt the new Death kills his predecessor.]]* Robert Burns's poem ''Death and Dr Hornbook'' features a non-skeletal (albeit cloaked) Grim Reaper of the disgruntled civil servant mould, who is apparently ''a'' Grim Reaper specifically responsible for southwestern Scotland. * In Paul Robinson's book ''InstrumentOfGod'', the person who is in charge of the Recycling Department (where people who have died decide to go back to earth to be reborn as a baby) is ''The Death Traffic Manager'' but is colloquially known as ''Grim'' or ''The Grim Reaper''.* ''Literature/TheBookThief'' is narrated by Death (and makes him a sympathetic character to boot!)---> I do not carry a sickle or scythe---> [[MundaneUtility I only wear a black cloak if its cold.]]---> And I don't have those skull like features---> You humans are so keen on pinning on me from a distance---> You want to know what I look like?---> [[TomatoInTheMirror Find yourself a mirror while I continue.]]* The Black Rabbit of Inle from ''WatershipDown'' is involved in the death of every rabbit, but if a rabbit dies without his permission, he will avenge the deed. In rabbit mythology, this explains why ''elil'' (the rabbit word for enemies, including humans) hunt and kill each other.* Death of Fritz Leiber's ''[[Literature/FafhrdAndTheGrayMouser Lankhmar]]'' series is a bald figure in dark clothing, who has a quota of deaths every hour (by profession) and has never missed it.* The description of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come in Charles Dickens's ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'' is a clear reference to the Grim Reaper.* In the ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', at one point in Literature/GhostStory, Harry meets an Angel of Death who is watching over [[spoiler:Father Forthill]]. Harry then threatens the Angel if any harm comes to [[spoiler:Forthill]]. She calmly states his TrueName, that she understands his frustration and adds that she is watching merely to protect [[spoiler:him]] should it be the person's proper time. Given the Angel could destroy Harry with a mere thought, he got off lightly. The Angel even states that should it be time, not even the Prince of Darkness would wrest the soul from her protection.* Death is worshipped in many forms in the world of ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', from the Black Goat of Qohor to the Stranger from the Faith of the seven. However, a cult of assassins known as the Faceless Men believe all of these to be the same being, the Many-Faced God.* Invoked in Creator/DanAbnett's Literature/GauntsGhosts novel ''Only In Death''. Wes Maggs is haunted by a figure of an old woman with a malformed face and a black lace gown. He is convinced that she is Death, come to take Ghosts. In some, dangerous situations, other Ghosts see her as well. When resolving to fight as hard as he could, Maggs defies her. [[spoiler:She proves to be Soric's [[EvilCripple handler]] from [[FateWorseThanDeath the Black Ships]], projected by him. The reason she appeared more when they were in danger was that Soric sensed it, and his desperate desire to help them caused more of his psychic activity to reach them.]]* The classic Spanish novel ''La Dama del Alba'' (The Lady of the Dawn) has Death as a beautiful woman who envies the living, as she can never know love because of her role.* In ''Literature/OneHundredYearsOfSolitude'', Death is a quiet woman clad in an old blue dress who orders [[spoiler: Amaranta BuendĂ­a]] to sew her own death shroud, promising that she will die peacefully and painlessly at the end of the day she's done.* Death is a fairly important figure in ''ParadiseLost'' and is part of the "evil trinity" along with Satan, his father, and Sin, his mother. Satan is also [[{{Squick}} Sin's father]].* In Creator/AmberBenson's ''Calliope Reaper-Jones'' series, Calliope is the daughter of the current Grim Reaper, a man who has held that post since about 1900. Having been in life a businessman during the latter part of the Industrial Revolution, he used those approaches to manage his reaping duties, by forming the afterlife company Death, Inc.* ''Film/FinalDestination'' spin-off ''Dead Reckoning'' has a [[EldritchAbomination Lovecraft inspired]] version of the usual stereotypical depiction of the Grim Reaper appear in a dream sequence.* ''Death: A Life'' by George Pendle is a humorous look at Death's existence up to the present time. The main story focuses on Death being fascinated with the idea of living after meeting a soul by the name of Maud, whom he falls in love with. HilarityEnsues.* Yambe-Akka to witches in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials''. At one point it reveals that every person has an individual death, who accompanies them all their life, but who often hide themselves (and they're ''very'' good at that) because most people are uncomfortable with facing their mortality.* Literature/HarryPotter doesn't have Death himself appear in-story (though so many have died), but in The Tale of the Three Brothers, [[http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Death_(The_Tale_of_the_Three_Brothers) Death]] did appear to the three Peverell Brothers. He is portrayed here as cunning and disliking to be on the losing side of anything. He was, in the story, the creator of the [[PlotDevice Deathly Hallows]].* ''Literature/SiliconWolfpack'' has a traditionally-garbed reaper who seems to merely be one of many, and has a [[PluckyComicRelief sense of humor]].* Literature/TheDemonata after several books reveal that [[spoiler:Death was the main-villain all along.]]* In the ''HeraldsOfValdemar'' series, Death is described as "the Shadow-Lover." The metaphysics of Velgarth being a bit vague, the Shadow-Lover sometimes seems to be a literal psychopomp that appears as an attractive member of one's gender of preference to embrace the dieing, and sometimes seems to be a poetic metaphor. It may depend on the nature and strength of one's faith.* In the Creator/StephenKing novel ''Literature/TheLongWalk'', an unnamed dark figure appears at the very end who is theorized to be Death, ushering [[spoiler:Garraty]] into the afterlife.* Although he's an inscrutable {{Chessmaster}} and MagnificentBastard, Death from ''TheSecretsOfTheImmortalNicholasFlamel'' (called Marethyu in the series) is ultimately a hero and the champion of humanity. [[spoiler:And it turns out that he's actually a future version of Josh, one of the two main characters. (ItMakesSenseInContext.)]]* Fiona Patton's TalesOfTheBranionRealm features the Shadow Catcher, who during battles is depicted as a fisherman with a net, drawing up a great catch of the dead.* Title character [[spoiler: Jenny]] in [[spoiler: Geoph Essex's ''Lovely Assistant'']] (like the others she meets) is the {{Psychopomp}} variation. (Spoilered out since even ''she'' doesn't know it until a third of the way through the story, despite [[spoiler: unwittingly dying the very first moment we see her]]).* Garovel of ''Literature/TheZombieKnight'' is this, but despite his appearance, he seems much less gloomy and macabre than the story's [[ShrinkingViolet human protagonist]]. * Ironeyes of ''Literature/TheMistbornAdventures'' is generally regarded as a Type 2 above, though one of the three major religions (Sliverism) worships him as God.** [[spoiler: Readers of ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'' will recognize him as Marsh, Kelsier's brother. Of course, Kelsier is a god as well, so...]] * In Philip Kerr's novel ''{{Prayer}}'', FBI agent Gill Martin comes up against the Church of Izrael, led by the seemingly genuine Pastor Nelson van der Velden. He soon realises the odd spelling of "Izrael" is no error or eccentricity. Van der Velden spent time in Israel learning the inner secrets of Kabbalah. These include how to actively pray for the death of dirty godless liberals, atheists, socialists and advocates of sexual deviancy, so as to bring about God's will for the USA - a fundamentalist Christian theocracy. Led by President van der Velden. Via Kabalah, an inner prayer circle invokes and directs Azrael, the Archangel of Death, to do God's will as mandated through His servant Nelson van der Velden.* TanyaHuff's Child of the Grove/The Last Wizard duology (her first books) has Death as an important character in both backstory and within the story. He looks like whatever a person finds comforting and can even choose his appearance if necessary. He is generally invisible to mortals, but the immortals, the titular wizard, and people close to death can see him. He can also be invisible to even them or make himself visible to mortals. At one point he allows the dead father of a character to smack sense into him, and he's [[DontFearTheReaper a very polite and kind man]]. Then he [[DivineDate falls in love]] with Crystal, the last wizard.* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': A corps of reapers exist in the afterlife known as The Abyss. Their job is to oversee the dead, the dying and overall make sure that this aspect of reality is functioning properly. They typically appear to humans in the guise of a black cloaked figure and the symbol of their office is their scythe. Their master is simply called "Lord Death". [[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]* The entire premise of the TV series ''DeadLikeMe''. Grim Reapers in the ''DeadLikeMe'' universe work as a team, and are the first variation of Reapers described; the kind that guide the soul of a deceased person to the afterlife. They also have the responsibility to "pop" the soul of the person shortly before their death, so that they feel no pain. As George quickly learns, [[AndIMustScream failure to remove the soul can have... side effects]].* The cockney, cab driving Grim Reapers from the first season of TheMightyBoosh.* The Angel of Death appeared several times in TV's ''Series/{{Charmed}}'', played in all but one instance by the same actor. He was depicted as unstoppable, anyone who fell onto his list would die, and the episode would involve [[AnAesop characters learning]] to accept death was inevitable.* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' not only plays it straight, but features friendly-guide Death turning into aggressive-destructive Death as Janeway refuses to pass over. He was a SufficientlyAdvancedAlien who, for some reason, needed people to voluntarily travel to his torturous Hell dimension so he could use them as a living battery. His aggressive side made for a pretty creepy Reaper.* Spoofed in the series ''MurderMostHorrid''. Dawn French plays a grim reaper forced to be customer-friendly, and has to deal with interrupting a murder a few minutes early by arranging the circumstances so that the right murder takes place.* At the end of the series finale of ''Series/RedDwarf'', a pale reaper shows up to collect Rimmer, [[spoiler: who evades death by kicking the specter in the jewels and running away.]]* Andrew in ''TouchedByAnAngel'' is one of the Angels of Death. They don't actually kill people; he just helps those who were about to die (or in the process of dying) get prepared and escorts them after.** On a Halloween episode, he sees a trick-or-treater dressed as The Grim Reaper. He pauses and seriously says to the kid, "We need to talk."* In ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryAsylum'', the Angel of Death appears as a black-haired pale-skinned woman wearing a black dress and veil. She talks to several characters and takes them with a literal Kiss Of Death, including [[spoiler:Satan himself, while he possessed Sister Mary]].* ''Series/BigWolfOnCampus'' had two episodes that involved the Grim Reaper, naturally everything is parodied hilariously. When a character tries to save his own life by challenging Death to a game of chess, he loses, so then they play Yahtzee, and he loses, so they play Connect 4, and so they play Cluedo. Death was not up for playing Stratego at that point. Also, in the other episode, Death has agreed to leave, but as he walks out the door he turns and starts to deliver his classic "In time all will come to..." speech only to have the door slammed in his face... because, you know, they're teenagers, they don't want to hear about that sort of stuff.* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' featured a few episodes with [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith an insanely hot]] black-haired reaper, who guides the deceased to their afterlives.** Lucifer summons Death himself in Season 5's 'Abandon All Hope'. He is one of the four HorsemenOfTheApocalypse and the boss of all reapers. He later makes an appearance in the episode "Two Minutes To Midnight". Whilst he does not appear as the classical Grim Reaper, he is portrayed by Julian Richings, a man with a very skeletal appearance. While not actively malicious, he views humanity the same way we might view microbes - barely noticeable and utterly insignificant. He also claims to be at least as old and as powerful as God, and that in the end, he'll reap Him too. He's portrayed as more of a typical Grim Reaper-type being in his second appearance in "Appointment in Samarra", which makes it clear that his task is to maintain the natural order into eternity. He views the Winchesters as slightly more significant this time - enough for him to be annoyed at the way they keep coming back from the dead, anyway. He also likes fast food.* The catch in ''Series/{{Reaper}}'' is that at least one version of reapers are alive, work for TheDevil, and capture already-dead escaped souls to return them to Hell. Worse than a Reaper is the Ender, which can ''destroy'' souls (and anything else) utterly.* ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'' has Celesta. She looks nothing like a normal reaper.* An episode of ''Series/{{Benson}}'' had him play Trivial Pursuit against [[MeaningfulName Mr. G. Reaper]], not for his own life but for the lives of a bus-full of schoolchildren caught in a severe storm. All the questions Death got had answers involving "death"; when Benson accused him of cheating, he denied it, saying, "You have often heard it said, 'He cheated Death,' but no one ever said 'Death cheated ''him''!"* Grave Digger is the Grim Reaper in monster truck form. He'll roll over your grave. And like 20 or 30 cars after that.* Although not appearing as a character the Reaper is the symbol worn by the ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy'' Motorcyle Club on their jackets and is carved into the conference table in their meeting room. The stock of his scythe is a rifle and he carries a buckler with the anarchy symbol on it. Some members have him tatooed on their backs.* Death appears in several episodes of ''TheTwilightZone'', the first being "One For the Angels". He appears as [[DontFearTheReaper an affable guy who shouldn't be feared]].** Another episode, "Nothing in the Dark" deals with an old woman shut-in who saw death once, and refused to leave her house or let anyone in so he couldn't come take her. Then a young police officer played by none other than Robert Redford gets shot on her doorstep. [[spoiler: This being The Twilight Zone, of course, the nice young policeman is in fact Death, the old lady was right all along, but its okay because he's an affable guy who shouldn't be feared]]* In one episode of ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'', "White Light Fever", Death takes the form of a lightning bolt. He does not like people trying to escape him by medical means, apparently because it would destroy reality if done too much.* The ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' episode ''Dead Man Walking'' features a Death that, should it successfully complete the requirements for it to appear on Earth, will attempt to kill ''everything''.* In the horror pastiche episode of Creator/CirqueDuSoleil's WidgetSeries ''Solstrom'', once a hotel has been magically transformed into a HauntedCastle / HellHotel hybrid, Death arrives as a guest (i.e., he's taking a holiday). Even though he fits the traditional appearance pictured above, magically signs the register with a skull and crossbones symbol, and has a menacing laugh, he observes the strange hijinks going on rather than interfere with them. By the episode's end, an unlucky guest has perished via choking, and when Death checks out it's with the person's soul following him in a daze. Further playing this for dark humor, the Hotel Owner doesn't seem to recognize Death and treats him like any other guest (well, with everything else that's changed, what's one more bizarre stranger on the premises?).* One of these shows up for Al in an episode of ''Series/MarriedWithChildren''. When Al shuts the door on its face, it reappears inside the house as he turns his back. 'It's the first thing they teach in Death school.'* A strange example in the usually reality-based ''Series/{{NCIS}}''. In the fourth season finale "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Angel of Death]]", Dr. Jeanne Benoit encounters [[CreepyChild a little girl]] outside the hospital who [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane may or may not be the Angel of Death]]. It's strongly implied to the viewer [[spoiler: that she really is]].* Played with in ''Series/{{Grimm}}''. It's not the ''Grim'' Reaper, it's the ''Grimm'' Reaper. And it's not the single avatar of death, it's a group of assassins made up of (comparatively mundane) monsters who use scythes as their WeaponOfChoice. And their targets happen to be people known as Grimms.* In an episode of ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', J.D. [[ImagineSpot imagines]] Death hanging around the hospital due to all the deaths that happen there. Death among other things has a daughter selling girl scout cookies (where he mentions he might kill his daughter's main competitor), and [[ChessWithDeath plays a game of Connect Four with J.D. over a patient's life]].* The rare version of the Reaper wielding a sword when coming to claim royalty is highlighted on the final episode of ''TheTudors'' when [[spoiler: a Reaper on horseback approaches Henry(who, after three seasons of subtle aging, is back as he was in Season 1); [[IronicEcho aiming the sword at the king's neck]]. It's a dream sequence, however.]]* In one of Marty Feldman's short films he portrayed a movie maker with an almost supernatural knack of being in place for to film a disaster. He was even shown filming his wife on holiday (also played by Feldman) who would suddenly point to the right and then to the left so the camera could catch a shipwreck or plane crash. He became so notorious that people would panic when they realized he was filming them, often causing their deaths such as the person who kept backing off and waving him away and fell into a garbage truck to be compacted. * Series/WildWestTech gives The Grim Reaper his own episode. Let's face it: THeWildWest was a dangerous time and place. There were endless ways to die and nobody is immune.* Series/HorribleHistories: In which Death likes to make people tell their stories of how they put the "mortifying" into "mortal", before allowing them into the next world.-->'''Death:''' Stupid deaths, stupid deaths, it's funny cause it's true! Stupid deaths, stupid deaths, hope next time it's not you!* A skit on the Israeli BlackComedy skit show ''Makom liDeaga'' had a religious woman open the door to see a man in stock Grim Reaper attire. He greets her asks her with an ominous low voice if he can come in; she hesitates in terror before someone tells him the costume party is on the floor above them. He apologises and leaves, and the woman goes back inside, where a group of people are praying for a child fighting a terminal illness.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]* Music/BlueOysterCult's "DontFearTheReaper" from ''Music/AgentsOfFortune'', a TropeNamer. Used especially well in the TV version of Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/TheStand'', playing while the camera roamed a biological weapons lab where everyone had been killed by an [[DepopulationBomb escaped virus.]]* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' has two songs named for the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, Death (Another name people use for a personified death, along with the Grim Reaper). To be exact, On A Pale Horse, and its remake Behold a Pale Horse are those songs.* Death appears in Music/{{Ayreon}}'s ''Into the Electic Castle'' when [[spoiler: the Indian dies.]] Obviously we can't ''see'' him, but his part is done in death growls.* The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZFfOaZ993E music video]] of Creator/NanaMizuki's ''[[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha Eternal Blaze]]'' has a blonde little girl [[SummoningRitual summoning]] the Grim Reaper, though this version came with a bovine skull instead of the traditional human one.* The Nice's song "Azrael" is about the Angel of Death (its alternate title).* A reaper-like figure with a scythe appears on the cover of the album ''Yeti,'' by the band Music/AmonDuulII. In fact, the guy with the scythe was Wolfgang Krischke, ADII's sound man, who had died of hypothermia while tripping on acid. Keyboardist/album cover artist Falk Rogner included the photo of Krischke as a tribute. * Bands such as Music/GraveDigger, Grim Reaper, ChildrenOfBodom and post-reunion Artillery have Death as their mascot.* Wow. That's surprising. Music/PearlJam's "Do The Evolution" only has one happy character in it. Death. Shown as a pretty woman, a skeletal pilot, and something in-between during the video.* Music/MachinaeSupremacy has [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xByO0jhtceY I Know the Reaper]].* Music/FranzSchubert's ''Death and the Maiden'', about a young woman arguing with the grim reaper over the justice of her passing. She cries out in fear, but Death replies that he [[DontFearTheReaper won't hurt her]]. Death wins the argument (he always does).* Voltaire's ''[[TearJerker "Feathery Wings",]] [[WordOfGod which is about]] the Angel of Death.* Music/DavidBowie's [[http://www.teenagewildlife.com/Albums/Lodger/LBIA.html "Look Back in Anger"]] from ''Music/{{Lodger}}'' recounts an encounter with Death, who is described as a tired, bored angel with "crumpled wings", but "Very sane he seemed to me".* "Death, The Reaper" is one of the {{Tarot|Motifs}}-inspired instrumentals on The Enid's debut album ''In the Region of the Summer Stars''.* Likewise, DarkMoor has a track for Death on their album ''Tarot''.* A variation of Death's Thanatos incarnation is the narrator in "Can't Take It With You" by Music/TheAlanParsonsProject.* The ScaryBlackMan from the Music/BoneThugsNHarmony video for "Crossroads", until the end when he takes off his coat and hat revealing he has angel wings.* The Music/InsaneClownPosse call him "The Wraith". He is AboveGoodAndEvil, not caring about the morality of those he takes; he only cares about his duty of ending the lives of those he has come to claim, though their song about him implies he may be a bit too interested in making sure people continue to come his way.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pinball]]* In ''Pinball/LastActionHero,'' if a launched ball drains too quickly, the Reaper shows up to feed you another chance with a "[[{{Pun}} Death Save]]".* The Grim Reaper appears in ''Pinball/FamilyGuy'' as a ButtMonkey.[[/folder]]

[[folder: Professional Wrestling]]* Wrestling/TheUndertaker is sometimes portrayed as not a mortician or a [[OurZombiesAreDifferent zombie,]] but as the actual reaper himself. It's one of his {{Red Baron}}s.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Roleplay]]* An entity in ''Roleplay/DestroyTheGodmodder''.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop RPG]]* The ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' C'tan god known as the Nightbringer {{Mind Rape}}d proto-life so comprehensively he gave all living creatures (except Orks) the fear of death, and although he can take any shape usually styles himself as a giant floating reaper, complete with thirty-foot-long-scythe. Partially as a consequence of this, the Eldar formed a sect of warriors called the Dark Reapers, although instead of scythes, they use [[MacrossMissileMassacre rapid-fire micro-missile launchers]]. The ''first'' Dark Reaper, the Phoenix Lord Maugan Ra, instead uses a shuriken cannon (yes, a {{BFG}} that fires shuriken) with a scythe blade on the end of the barrel. On a related note: the Harlequin Death Jesters play the role of death in the alien performer's shows, and in battles they're the heavy weapons specialists, wearing black robes decorated with the remains of their predecessors and skull masks, and wielding similar scythe shuriken cannon [[BuffySpeak thingies]].* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has had several gods of death over its history, and several Grim Reaper analogues:** In 3.5E Forgotten Realms, the LawfulNeutral god of death, Kelemvor, could dispatch any creature he liked to do his work, and Kelemvor himself would occasionally come in person. Kelemvor's avatar is of a tall man wrapped in black shrouds, wearing an emotionless silver mask. In an exception to the Grim Reaper's usual weapon of choice, Kelemvor prefers a bastard sword, which he used when he was still a human warrior.** One type of Inevitable (mechanical being of pure law designed to fulfill a specific duty while roaming the planes) is the Marut, which seeks to destroy any being that uses magic to extend its lifespan beyond normal limits, while ignoring those who simply were resurrected, unless the offender does so repeatedly or on a massive scale. Like Kelemvor, Maruts are relatively benign to players (who seldom bother with simply prolonging their lives), and can be potent allies to players hunting liches and the like.** D&D 4E features an ''entire race'' of Grim Reapers, the Sorrowsworn, who answer to the Raven Queen, the goddess of death and fate in the new setting. Extremely high-level monsters, they won't bother you unless you "defy death"...which given the fact that at least one player character has almost certainly been subject to Raise Dead by that level, makes them a frequent opponent around that tier of play. The Sorrowsworn also come with their own pets, the [[AnimalMotifs shadowravens]], who you do ''[[ZergRush not]]'' want to get mad.*** Worth noting that the Sorrowsworn appeared in earlier editions of D&D, but not as Grim Reapers; rather, they were a type of demon that fed on and caused mental anguish through feelings such as loss and dispair(hence the name).** There is the greater deity Nerull the Reaper, who is described in ''Manual of the Planes'' as "...a rust-red skeleton wearing a dull black cloak" who wields a "...sablewood staff from which projects a scarlet blade of force that has the power to slay any creature". Nerull's clerics are serial killers. In 3rd Edition, he was opposed by Wee Jas, a LawfulNeutral deity of death and magic who didn't agree with him on the [[OmnicidalManiac "kill everything that breathes"]] subject.*** There was also an adventure released in which Nerull succeeded in his plan, and wiped out all life. He eventually realized just how stupid this was, and went back in time to request the players stop him.** Fourth Edition states the Raven Queen (an ascended mortal, rather than Wee Jas) took him down, hard. It seems [[MagnificentBastard Vecna the Maimed God]] has managed to salvage part of him, because Vecna now has big mean undead with scythes in his service...** Orcus is a demon lord who ''wants'' to be the Grim Reaper. He technically only commands undead (not Death) but one of his biggest goals (as stated in Fourth Edition) is to murder the Raven Queen and usurp her portfolio. (Orcus' desire to achive true godhood is mentioned very often in stories where he is involved, and indeed, he has more mortal worshippers than any other demon, and is believed to be closer than most to achieving that goal.)* TableTopGames/{{Pathfinder}} gives us Pharasma, an overall reasonable example of this trope who you [[DontFearTheReaper need not fear]] (she is TrueNeutral). She appears as a stately gray-skinned lady with white hair that doesn't quite obey gravity, despises the undead for being abominations, and runs the CelestialBureaucracy where souls wait to receive her judgement before going on to their designated afterlife. Interestingly, she is not ''just'' the goddess of Death, but also of Fate, Birth, and Prophesy. But since the start of the Age of Lost Omens, which kicked off when a ''god'' somehow managed to die, Prophesy hasn't been very reliable. No one can agree on whether Aroden's death surprised Pharasma as much as everyone else, or if she knew and just kept her mouth shut.* Long before Fourth Edition did it, there was a "grim reaper" included in the TabletopGames/{{Ravenloft}} setting's monster-books. They aren't minions of a death-deity as far as anyone knows: they just like to kill stuff. Also from Ravenloft, there's the darklord Death, which believes itself to be the real thing (it's not; in reality, it was once the mortal servant of another darklord, transformed by his mad experiments).* Also in D&D, drawing the wrong card from a ''Deck of Many Things'' could summon a "minor death" to try to kill you, which looks like the grim reaper as depicted on a Tarot card. (In the most recent edition, it summons a dread wrath, a powerful undead creature which sort of looks like the grim reaper.)* One of the hundreds of chatty deckers who have added [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis in-character commentary]] to TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}} products went by the login of ''Grid'' Reaper. [[spoiler: Another decker eventually outed him as a ghoul, explaining the morbid reference.]]* The darkly humorous ''TabletopGame/{{Hol}}'' actually gave stats for "Death Himself" (Mortus). It also uses the civil servant interpretation, saying that due to the immense workload he has to do in the game's highly volatile and [[CrapsackWorld dangerous setting]], he realized the need to hire subcontractors to assist in the workload and open his first branch office. One example given was a man named "Gordo" who, due to death's vanity concerning his SinisterScythe, is forced to collect souls using a weed whacker.* There are quite a few monsters in the ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'' game that are based on the Grim Reaper. ** The first was [[http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Reaper_of_the_Cards Reaper of the Cards]], which, despite gaining notoriety in the anime, is very much outdated today. [[http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Spirit_Reaper Spirit Reaper]] is a card that is still considered very useful, and it is Fusion Material for [[http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Reaper_on_the_Nightmare Reaper on the Nightmare]], which is a common target for the Spell Card Instant Fusion. ** There's also [[http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Emissary_of_the_Afterlife Emissary of the Afterlife]], which, despite being a Grim Reaper, has an effect which really has nothing to do with death. ** [[http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Reaper_of_Prophecy Reaper of Prophecy]], who fills the role of the Death card in the [[TarotMotifs Tarot Motif]] of the Prophecy archetype. (Curiously, the Arcana Force monsters, who also follow a [[TarotMotifs Tarot Motif]], have no equivalent.)** The Agent of Death - Uranus is the first "The Agent" monster whose name does not accurately depict what it is named after (in this case, the Greek god of the sky has no correlation with "Death").* In ''{{TabletopGame/Anathema}}'' you effectively play as the Grim Reaper. Players can also choose to have their shrouds resemble it.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]

* The personification of Death is a central character in the German musical ''{{Elisabeth}}''. He's not much of a traditional Grim Reaper type, though, as he's not hooded, scythe-wielding, or skeletal (in fact, he's usually rather handsome, although it depends on who's playing him.) He's referred to as "Der Tod" ("Death", in German); his duets with Elisabeth are seen as long-life flirtations, and the single duet with her son Rudolf can be ''very'' easily seen as HoYay.** this Death, in fact, "reaps" people with a literal kiss of death. He has a handful of silent accompanying angels to carry away those he reaps for him, though.** He definitely is meant to be attractive - physically and/or in the charismatic sense, especially to people like Elisabeth who courts death and Rudolf who commits suicide - and, originally, a bit androgynous. Not skeletal and weapon-wielding, but intimidating and creepy in a different way.* In ''Theatre/TheAddingMachine'', an angel introducing himself as "the Fixer--from the Claim Department" appears to Mr. Zero on death row to tell him that he's as doomed as [[TheDinosaursHadItComing the dinosaurs were]]. Very much against stereotype, he's not so much a grim spectre as an unsentimental and rather bored agent of the CelestialBureaucracy, who doesn't take his eyes off ''ComicStrip/MuttAndJeff'' during Mr. Zero's execution.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]* ''{{Darksiders}} II'' features Death as the main protagonist, with the Grim Reaper form as a SuperMode.* ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'' has Malthael, the archangel of death. He's an extremely powerful, black-robed angel who dual wields two hand-sized scythes and eats souls. Not to mention that he leads an entire army of soul-eating angels called "The Reapers".* The Grim Reaper (Death) appears in ''{{Magicka}}''. He's the king of the underworld, and co-owns a travel agency with a vampire. You can unlock a Magick, which will summon Death, who will hunt down and one-hit kill whatever has the lowest health on the screen; this can include 'you''.* In the ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' series of games, the Main Character, Ragna The Bloodedge was at some point before the start of Calamity Trigger nicknamed "The Grim Reaper." He also uses a sword called the Bloodscythe. At first glance you'd probably ask why he's called the Grim Reaper. One would say its because of his unique drive ability "Soul Eater" which drains enemy health in the form of little red lights. Then you see his Astral Finish, which involves his sword turning into a scythe, and him slashing the opponent into shreds...and draining the opponent energy, or soul if you will, and slashing for one final kill. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBCc4gSaqIo&feature=related It can be seen here]]* ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' has Jedah, a [[BloodyMurder blood using]] would-be [[MessianicArchetype Messiah]] who also is prone to using scythes.* In ''VideoGame/{{Sacrifice}}'' the final spell of the death god Charnel is, well, "Death". It summons a towering cloaked figure with two giant blades for arms, who will indiscriminately and gleefully massacre all and every creature it encounters (regardless of which side it belongs to) until he's killed his fill and vanishes. Death cannot be targeted or damaged by anything, and his duration is measured in 'units killed': [[ImplacableMan Once he's locked on to a unit, that unit is dead]]. For some reason he will not lay a hand, errr, ''blade'', on [[HeroUnit the wizards themselves]].* Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/GrimFandango'', in which you play a reaper whose job is presented as a supernatural travel agent. Manny appears as the classical representation of Death when he's collecting clients from the Land of the Living. When he gets back to the office, he folds up the scythe and takes off the black robe and the ''elevator shoes''. He normally looks like a shorter man in a blue suit, with a stylized skull for a head.* The scythe-chucking Grim Reaper is almost always Dracula's second in command in the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series of video games. Why exactly the embodiment of death is a servant of a Vampire is anyone's guess. Though his name in every game is always "Death," not Grim Reaper. It becomes confusing when you can kill Death.** In ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow'', reapers are encountered as normal enemies on the penultimate stage, they are effectively {{Glass Cannon}}s since they go down in 2 hits but they deal tons of damage and they tend to ZergRush the player.** In ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'', Dracula is more than just an ordinary vampire. He's the Dark Lord. And Death seems to be his friend.*** Or devoted servant, in some games. Given how many times Dracula has died and come back, one could assume he has ''mastered'' Death.**** According to the good ending of DawnOfSorrow, [[spoiler: Dracula is TheAntiGod]].* In ''RomancingSaGa'', Death is actually a God and a BonusBoss, He makes the FinalBoss look like a weakling in comparison. (Strangely enough, defeating him increases your alignment with him; also if your alignment with him increases enough; he will assist you in battle by killing any enemy except Undead monsters and certain bosses)** [[spoiler: Death also takes human form during the Soulgutter quest, teaching you how to seal him away and blesses you to prevent your soul from being taken by Soulgutter.]]* Die in ''VideoGame/{{Shadowgate}}'' (not hard to do) and this is who's waiting for you.* In ''VideoGame/TheSims series'', TheGrimReaper appears, as a scythe-wielding floating skeleton in a face-obscuring black robe, when it's time to take away any character who dies. With the appropriate expansion, he also comes for pets (with a rather cute animation). Too many deaths at the same time can result in "Grimmie" (as players tend to call him) getting overworked and needing to relax by watching some TV, or go to the toilet. While he doesn't appear in the base game for 1, the first expansion pack adds him, setting the stage for the rest of the series. In 2, Sims can be saved from death if another Sim successfully pleads with "Grimmie" and wins a game of "Which hand is their soul in?" with him. Incidentally, he also has some sweet wallpaper on his cell phone. He never actually uses his scythe in-game; he instead directs a PillarOfLight to pick up the dead Sim. If your sim is dying of old age and had a good enough life, they'll shake his hand, recive a fruity drink and walk off into the light surrounded by hula girls. A premade sim, Olive Specter, also has memories of erm... Whoohooing, with Grim. Nervous Subject is rumored to to be Grim's son from this. While in 3, Sims carrying a Death Flower will present it to him upon dying and he'll be so moved he leaves to take it home and put it in a vase, allowing your sim to live.* "The Grim Ripper" is one of the optional characters in some versions of the ''GuitarHero'' video games. He plays a pretty mean scythe.* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'', Death comes in several forms...** First, there's the BonusBoss "The Reaper," who stalks the halls of [[EvilTowerOfOminousness Tartarus]] while [[GunsAkimbo dual-wielding]] [[RevolversAreJustBetter revolvers]]. When he appears, [[MissionControl Fuuka]] announces "I sense Death!" Among the personas, there's Pale Rider, a persona of the Death arcana, as well as the ultimate Death-arcana persona, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanatos Thanatos]], [[spoiler: i.e., the scary sword-wielding thing that bursts out of Orpheus near the beginning of the game]].** Death, as an AnthropomorphicPersonification, also plays a pivotal role in the story, as, due to the machinations behind two attempts to bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, he ends up being [[spoiler: sealed inside the main character for ten years, and then incarnated as the heroes' free-spirited classmate Ryoji Mochizuku]]. Death is an avatar and herald of [[spoiler: Nyx, an EldritchAbomination whose role is to bring about humanity's extinction]], though in the end, [[spoiler: Ryoji, speaking on behalf of Nyx, [[DarkIsNotEvil expresses relief and gratitude]] that the heroes found a way to avert the apocalypse after all]].** The Reaper is also a BonusBoss in Persona 4, who can be randomly found in a NewGamePlus. [[spoiler:Izanami, the main villain of the game, is a subversion. While she is an undead goddess, she did not actively plan any of the killings, she simply gave people powers and watched what they did with them. And even after watching the ensuing chaos, unlike Nyx or Erebus she doesn't think death is something that humanity craves (though what she does think humanity wants is arguably just as twisted).]]* The Pale Rider from the various ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' games and spin-offs, including the aforementioned ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}''.** Charon served the role of ferrying the dead in several early Shin Megami Tensei games with his latest appearance in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' , where he now sends you back to the world of the living for a fee.** There are a number of other death-related beings in the series, most of which [[OlympusMons are totally tamable by you]]. David, a weaker Fiend than Pale Rider, is the personification of the ''Danse Macabre'' and is sometimes seen in the company of more {{Mook}}ish Reapers called Macabres. The aforementioned Archangels Samael and Azrael often show up, as well as more infrequent appearances by Sariel, a Judaic messenger of death. Finally, there's the Reaper race of demons, entirely devoted to the death gods of non-Abrahamic cultures - the Norse Hel, the Celtic Cernunnos, the Mesopotamian Nergal, and so forth.* The Halja from ''VideoGame/OdinSphere''. They're called 'shinigami' in the Japanese version, but more closely resemble the western image of this trope; complete with cowled faces and sickles.* In ''Videogame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'', each world in TheMultiverse has its Master of Death -- a god-like being acting as psychopomp and responsible for maintaining the free flow of souls between life and the afterlife. Of the two you encounter during the game, [[spoiler:Gamma]] and Gig, [[spoiler:Gamma is a KnightTemplar who kills off everyone above the age of 30 in his world to keep it from being uglied by old age]], and Gig is an OmnicidalManiac with a [[PsychoForHire psychotic streak]] who turned your world into a slowly dying dustbowl 200 years ago. Neither ''look'' particularly like the traditional reaper, being hovering humans with ShouldersOfDoom. Gig uses a scythe, however. When a certain character from another [[Videogame/PhantomBrave world]] starts talking about challenging the Reaper metaphorically, people point out this doesn't describe Gig very well. [[spoiler:As it turns out, Gig (Vigilance) was actually a [[DontFearTheReaper real nice guy]] before Drazil's machinations.]]* The ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' series has [[GrimReaper Grim Reapers]] as standard monsters. In ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'' they appear as large cloaks with hoods and gloves, but have no body other than a few ghostly wisps coming out of the bottom of the robe. While absent from ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 2|CursedMemories}}'', they return again in ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 3|CursedMemories}}'' as bloated, hunchbacked shadows with large scythes, skeletal wings, and a cow skull for a face. They are responsible for ferrying dead souls to the afterlife.** In addition to the previous, ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 4|APromise Unforgotten}}'' has Emizel and his father President Hagos, who are reapers of a more human looking sort. [[spoiler: Both are capable of taking on a more monstrous form, though.]]* ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'' has Gregg the GrimReaper, a short and squeaky-voiced skeletal figure who masks his voice with a loud, booming megaphone. Not quite what you'd expect, but how many grim reapers have '''you''' met before? Has a particular hatred of cats (you know, nine lives and all that) and related animals (such as catfish), and isn't that fond of squirrels either (since they have as many lives "as they think they can get away with"). He hates TheUndead even more, though (because they really screw up the paperwork), and hands Conker a shotgun before the ZombieApocalypse level so he can get rid of them.* Played with in ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', where the dead are given a second chance at life through the Reapers' Game, a seven-day gauntlet of challenges where Players must fight to survive against [[TheHeartless monsters called "Noise"]] and the Reapers themselves (again, ''Shinigami'' in the Japanese version), who as it turns out are just one part of a massive CelestialBureaucracy the full details of which are only available to those who strive for OneHundredPercentCompletion.* Komachi from ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' kinda mixes up the mythologies here. She's a {{Shinigami}} who both uses a scythe and rows a boat across the Sanzu river. Also, she doesn't take her job very seriously and is prone to slacking off. In ''Scarlet Weather Rhapsody'', it was explained that she wasn't so much a TheGrimReaper so much as purely an entity akin to Charon, since she's not permitted to reap souls. She's just a ferryman who takes you across the river.** The spinnoff manga ''Wild And Horned Hermit'' introduces the Kishin that seem to act closer to the traditional view of the reaper.* The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series has a whole variant of Grim Reaper appearances, all summoned with the spells Death or Doom, more frequently the former. A full listing can be found [[http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Grim_Reaper here]].* The TwistedMetal competitor Mister Grimm is actually the Grim Reaper in most incarnations. It was suggested that he was once a mortal man, as statistics given in Twisted Metal Head-On match the form he assumes in his ending, rather than his usual appearance as a skeletal biker. The exception occurs in the darker TwistedMetal Black; unlike the main series, Grimm in this game was a US soldier in Vietnam, who was captured along with a wounded friend. The friend died, and in order to avoid starving to death, Grimm had to eat his corpse, keeping the skull as a mask. The reboot changed him again; this time as the son of a stunt biker, who took his father's stage name after he died in a car accident.* In all of the ''VideoGame/{{Gauntlet}}'' games, Death appears to... steal your hit points. To make him stop, you need to [[AC:use magic to kill death.]] Alternately, if you're magicless, bored, and made of real cash, you can just let him get his fill.* Dieu Mort, being the Arcana of Death in ''VideoGame/ArcanaHeart'', naturally has the appearance of the traditional Grim Reaper.* [[ThatOneBoss That One Miniboss]] in ''VideoGame/MadWorld'' is a Grim Reaper-styled assassin who has a OneHitKill scythe, appears from out of nowhere when a zombie grabs you, and disappears when you hit him. Thankfully, killing him is optional.* ''VideoGame/MonsterRancher'' has the Joker, a reaper like monster wearing a clown mask.* ''VideoGame/GrabbedByTheGhoulies'' has a Grim Reaper who appears when break one of the rules of the room you're in. Accidentally punch an imp in a "weapons only" room? Here comes Death, complete with.. totally radical air-guitar/scythe, obviously. Which is played whenever he touches anyone and kills them (yes, even enemies). And you can punch him out the window in some rooms. For the bringer of death, he seems like a pretty cool and mortal guy.* ''VideoGame/DantesInferno'', very loosly based on [[Literature/TheDivineComedy the poem commonly assumed to have the same name]], begins with Dante, a KnightTemplar, beating up '''Death''' and stealing his scythe.* ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts'' has Fox Face, referred to variously as "Grim Reaper" and "God of Death". As a more traditional Japanese version of Death, he can be defeated, banished, and eventually destroyed.* In ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man X}}4'', [[BigBad Sigma]] disguises himself as a grim reaper, complete with a [[SinisterScythe Sinister Beam Scythe]]. His plans in the game involves instigating a massive civil war between two benevolent RedShirt [[RedShirtArmy armies]] and, at the end of the game, using a KillSat to annihilate the humans from the face of the earth. Luckily, he was defeated before the latter came to pass, but considering the events in the former, resulting in the deaths of most members of one of the RedShirt [[RedShirtArmy armies]], WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic?** Also Prometheus from ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'' and [=EraseMan.EXE/KillerMan.EXE=] from ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork''.* In ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'', the Reaper is a type of unit in the Drowning Doom faction, and [[DemonicSpiders are an absolute bitch to kill, due to their high mobility and powerful attack]].* ''[[Franchise/DotHack .hack]]'' has Skeith, [[BossSubtitles The Terror of Death]], who is often compared to the Grim Reaper. In ''Another Birth'', [=BlackRose=]'s initial thought when she seems him is "Death", and she refers to him as such before she learns his true name. Skeith is skeletally thin in all appearances, and wields a scythe in ''VideoGame/DotHackGU''. His final and most powerful form is distinctly different, resembling an "angel of death" rather than the Grim Reaper, though he still uses a scythe for close-quarters combat.* Death is a playable character in ''[[VideoGame/MagicalDrop Magical Drop 3]]'', as a {{Stripperiffic}} [[EvilIsSexy and very sexy]] FemmeFatale with a huge scythe, CuteLittleFangs and UnusualEars.* A Grim Reaper-like miniboss appears in the ''Ghostbusters'' game for SegaGenesis.* If you write 'Death' or 'Grim Reaper' in ''VideoGame/{{Scribblenauts}}'', you summon a typical black-cloak scythe-wielding skull-faced grim reaper. He'll attack (and eventually kill) anyone nearby, but this also includes you, meaning you should proceed with caution if you want to use him.** ''Super Scribblenauts'' removes his scythe -- although he'll still pick one up if you spawn one -- and gives him the ability to instantly kill anything with a touch. That includes Maxwell in the playground areas, where he's usually invincible to anything short of a nuke.* In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVI'', the Lord of the Dead is a sinister, imposing figure who WasOnceAMan before he was bound eternally to his underworld throne by heavy chains. Any living soul he touches is DeaderThanDead.* The ''VideoGame/GuildWars'' fallen god Dhuum, who was god of death before Grenth took over, is modeled after the Grim Reaper.* Death is the first boss of ''VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand'', and later reappears in PaletteSwap form as the "Poor God" (God of Poverty), who steals your gold when he attacks.* ''VideoGame/{{Chulip}}'' - hangs out in the cemetery and attacks* ''VideoGame/AgeOfWonders'' gives the Grim Reaper as the ultimate undead unit.* In ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown 2'', the shadowy image of a Grim Reaper appears over you if you're hit with SNKBoss Mizuki's control-reversal attack, counting down on his fingers. Once done, or if you're hit with the attack again, he ... just goes away.* In ''VideoGame/{{Rosenkreuzstilette}}'', one of the bosses is an undead TheGrimReaper-like wraith who is actually the spirit of Grolla's grandfather and master, Sir Raimund Seyfarth, better known as the legendary Thanatos. This boss not only wields a blood-red scythe called the Devil Scythe Grassense, but also the legendary Demon Sword Grollschwert, both of which he combines together when he faces the player's character head-on in combat. [[spoiler:In the bonus mode Grollschwert where you play as Grolla, Grolla claims Grollschwert after taking Raimund down]].* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' brings us Testament, who is like a {{Goth}} version of The Grim Reaper with a scythe made of blood. He even has Hell itself as his stage for the first two games in the series. You can also fight him in the Hell Stage in various parts of the Story Modes in Guilty Gear XX.* Dusknoir from ''{{Pokemon}}'' apparantly resembles the Grim Reaper. Its Pokédex entries even mentions it receiving signals to take spirits to the spirit world. * In the Hordes of the Underdark extension of VideoGame/NeverwinterNights, you meet him when you die, and he can send you back under certain circumstances. Later in the game, [[spoiler: when you get banished to Hell]], he can't bring you back, [[spoiler: so you have to find his True Name to make him bring you back to fight the BigBad]].* The ''Franchise/ChaosRings'' series seems to like this trope:** The Executioner in ''VideoGame/ChaosRings'' and ''VideoGame/ChaosRingsOmega'' initially appears as cloaked skeletal figure which consists of a floating ''spine'' which wields a huge scythe with one arm while the other arm is ''made'' of scythes. Its ''true'' form has the spine attached to a ''giant tick''.** Death in ''VideoGame/ChaosRingsII'', one of the [[HorsemenOfTheApocalypse Four Horseman]], is clearly based on the Grim Reaper. He has a long, tattered robe, is vaguely skeletal underneath it, and has a scythe-like weapon which has a bird's head, the bill forming the blade of the scythe.* In ''VideoGame/MaximoGhostsToGlory'', Death spares Maximo as part of a deal to stop Achille from drilling into the afterlife and stealing souls. In [[VideoGame/MaximoVsArmyOfZin the second game]], Maximo can temporarily call Death to take his place as a power-up. Death is portrayed as surprisingly friendly towards Maximo. He cares a great deal for the souls in his care, getting angry at anyone who interferes with them. In the intro to the second game, he whispers comfortingly to a soul freed from a golem.* Most Halloween events in ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' involve Death. Also, during the period of the event, he will briefly appear to players when they die. Players are also sent to Death's office when they die for the first time.* There's an AirborneMook in ''VideoGame/MiniRobotWars'' called the Reaper (looks like an evil red robot holding a scythe, and its sound cue is an EvilLaugh to boot). The good news is that its scythe attack is not a OneHitKill on your Minirobots. The bad news is that it hits all the Minirobots around it, and this scares them to the point that they freeze for a moment.* Gravelord Nito from ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' is effectively Lordran's Grim Reaper. He has a skeletal theme, only Nito is a giant skeleton wearing armor made out of '' more skeletons''. Rather than a scythe, he wields a greatsword made of ''even more skeletons''. Nito is a particularly strange case: his title "The First of the Dead" can be interpreted several ways, and suggests that Death as a concept existed prior to himself, but he claimed Death as his domain. Despite this, he can be destroyed, and accomplishing this does not eliminate death from the world.* One type of Zealot in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' wears a skull mask and wields a scythe.* A recurring enemy in ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'' and ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising''. If he sees you, he summons a swarm of [[GoddamnedBats Reapettes]] to attack you while creepy music plays.* One of the [[EverythingTryingToKillYou many things trying to kill you]] in ''PaperBoy''. Even weirder than the fact that [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight Death itself is just chilling on the curb]] is that The Reaper isn't any more dangerous to run into than a dog or a breakdancer is.* In ''VideoGame/{{Gaiares}}'', the third boss was a giant version who teleported around and shot [[SinisterScythe scythe blades]] at the player.* The ''VideoGame/RealityOnTheNorm'' games include Death as a regular protagonist. He initially arrived to collect the zombie mayor's soul, but then was convinced that working as the mayor's campaign manager was a better job than reaping people and quit his job. Since then he's more or less yet another ordinary citizen of the town. * While not the Grim Reaper outright, Chaos in ''VideoGame/{{Loom}}'' has a very skeletal appearance, wields a scythe, and commands an undead army.* In the Dark Arisen expansion for Videogame/DragonsDogma, Death is a recurring boss whose only actual attack will kill you in one hit and has a wide range, more than capable of killing your entire party in one strike. Thankfully, you never have to fight him, and running away is usually the best option.* In ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'', the Grim Reaper appears as a minor member of the eponymous superhero team, operating under the code name Wonder-Death. Even his in-game profile isn't sure how they managed to recruit him...[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]* ''Webcomic/IrregularWebcomic'' has a plethora of reapers, each assigned to collect souls from specific causes of death. ''Very'' specific causes of death, including Death of Insanely Overpowered Fireballs, Death of Being Wrestled to Death by Steve (Irwin), Death of Inhaling Hat-Making Chemicals, etc. Death of Being Ground By A Mars Rover Rock Abrasion Tool had something of a long wait before his debut performance. Of late, [[spoiler: the author himself has become Death of Going Back in Time and Killing Yourself, after being on the receiving end but before any inkling of the giving end. One of the perks of the job is... The ability to travel in time.]]* ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'', which has [[CrossoverCosmology numerous figures from different myths]] serving as Psychopomps, features a brief appearance by Ankou, who looks like The Reaper and carries a scythe.* ''WebComic/{{Fanboys}}'': Death is a friendly jokester who dresses in bright, cheery colors. He absolutely loves his job and a number of comics shows him cracking some kind of joke just before getting to the actual reaping. He has a pet cat who died of a bullet to the head, and he loves showing off how getting it to smoke a cigarette will make smoke come out of the wound.* In ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'', Death is a skeletal maitre d' because Purgatory is a restaurant with bad service.* In a non-continuity [[http://www.exiern.com/?p=75 set of strips]] in ''Webcomic/{{Exiern}}'', Death (played by Typhan'knee) comes for a guy who tries the ChessWithDeath trope. [[MostCommonSuperpower She cheats,]] then lampshades it:---> [[CrowningMomentOfFunny "Well there was that one guy in San Francisco but..."]]* ''Webcomic/InWilysDefense'' has a rather hilariously goofy Angel of Death who's entire character became cemented with the simple line of "Here's Death with the weather!". He clearly enjoys his job, since he brings up the weather almost every time he appears. At one point, it starts ''raining indoors'', despite that according to him, the forecast didn't call for it. [[LoveFreak His older sister]] remarks about how unreliable his forecasts are, to which Death replies, "Meteorologist just so happens to be Sanskrit for 'lying douchebag'."* The eponymous KillerRabbit of the FurryWebcomic ''Webcomic/{{Jack|DavidHopkins}}'' is assigned the job, as well as being the AnthropomorphicPersonification of the sin of Wrath. Interestingly, his first job is punishment for the things he did to get him the second job [[spoiler:(namely, genocide of humanity)]]. In spite of his fearsome appearance (seven foot tall, green humanoid rabbit with glowing red eyes, who looks like he's been dead for about two weeks) and his anger issues, he still tries to be a nice guy, especially to children and innocents. The comic is about his coming to terms with and seeking forgiveness for his deeds; perhaps ironically, while he regrets his deeds, he feels that what he has done was unforgivable - and without that, he cannot escape Hell. Unlike at least five of the seven sins, he was never pure evil, but he racked up the highest death count of any of them.* ''Lovefeast'' is centered around the concept of less-than-normal people giving up their lives to train to become "death gods" within a secret society. Inside of that society, they call each other {{Shinigami}}. They adopt different death god abilities to not only handle souls of the dead, but also to destroy demons that might interfere with those souls' passing to Purgatory. "THE" death god passed away ages before the story takes place and was a shape-shifter himself but sometimes took on the traditional cloaked appearance of the Grim Reaper.* In ''Grim Reaper School'', children that died too soon are made to be Grim Reapers in a slightly less than traditional sense; the main character, Charlie, discovers there's more to it than meets the eye.* Death from ''Webcomic/SlightlyDamned'' is one of the PowersThatBe, but compared to the other gods he [[GodsHandsAreTied got the short end of the stick]] when jurisdiction was passed out. He netted himself judgment and purgatory, and [[DontFearTheReaper hangs out with departed souls]] in the Ring of the Slightly Damned sometimes when he's not busy. [[spoiler:However, that's not the original Death, but instead an angel who agreed to take up the role.]]* Death ends up as a fairly regular character in ''Webcomic/ProblemSleuth'', where Ace Dick and Pickle Inspector challenge him to everything from the game of [=LIFE=] to the mind-boggling [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=4&p=001087 LABRYNTHINE SUDOCUBE COMPREHSENSILE]] to win back their, well, lives. He's slightly less competent than what you might imagine, and [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=4&p=001011 characters simply walking out out the afterlife]] becomes something of a RunningGag.* Death in ''Webcomic/DeathAndTheMaiden'' is a bit of a wimp, and has a WillTheyOrWontThey relationship with a mortal girl he failed to reap.* The Death from ''Comicbook/TheSandman'' is also the Death in ''Webcomic/AndShineHeavenNow''. When she has some spare time, she doubled as the Ghost of Iscariot Yet to Come for Enrico Maxwell. (Interestingly, she is shown to also be the Death for the [[Literature/GoodOmens Four Horsepersons of the Apocalypse.]]* Death makes an appearance in ''Webcomic/TheUnspeakableVaultOfDoom'', explicitly mentioned to be Literature/{{Discworld}}'s Death. Unfortunately, he isn't used to the rules with the Elder Gods around...---> [[Creator/HPLovecraft That is not dead which may eternal lie]],---> and with strange aeons even '''Death may die'''.* Death is depicted as a goth girl (and one of the PowersThatBe) in FindersKeepers.* ''Webcomic/NichtLustig'' has a GrimReaper, who keeps a poodle (''nothing against the Poodle of Death''), has his death-flakes, takes a day off when depressed and is very much beloved by every lemming he happens upon.* ''Webcomic/TheKAMics'' has Hela from NorseMythology as its official [[TheGrimReaper Grim Reaper]] (although for a while it seemed to be Steve of ''Webcomic/LifeAndDeath''). [[http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_KAMics/4789283/ She]] [[http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_KAMics/5077713/ doesn't]] [[http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_KAMics/5268279/ dress]] [[http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_KAMics/5270141/ very]] [[http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_KAMics/5294388/ traditional]] [[http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_KAMics/5281093/ though]]. (Fourth link is NSFW.) [[http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_KAMics/5305635/ She describes her job as a guide for the dead type.]]* ''Webcomic/{{Nosfera}}'' has BattleButler Grimsworth.* At the end of ''Webcomic/ThePhoenixRequiem'', [[spoiler: Jonas]] appears in a dark cloak, and tells that some call him The Reaper "after some local nonsense folk tale".* In ''Webcomic/ScaryGoRound'', reaping is something of a franchise operation. Natalie Durand gets a job as assistant to a hard-bitten, overworked reaper as something to do after her death, and glams up the costume a little. (Well, she is French.) Her embarrassment at being asked to collect another of her former boyfriend's exes proves fortuitous for Fallon.* Appears periodically in ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', though his reaping tends to be metaphorical, such as the leaves off trees as winter begins and the current year on New Year's Eve.* Sabrina of ''Webcomic/SabrinaOnline'' encounters the Reaper after being stabbed by a mugger. Turns out he ran into a clerical error and Sabrina gets to stay.* The first {{Psychopomp}} in ''Webcomic/TheRedStar'' [[http://www.beyondrealitymedia.com/the-red-star/issue-3/page-22/ is armed with the scythe to gather Marcus's soul.]]* The Grim Reaper makes several appearances in ''Webcomic/PrincessChroma'', usually to keep the main character in line. His name is [[FluffyTheTerrible Julio]].* In ''Webcomic/MountainTime'', the role of Grim Reaper is carried out by the Great One, a giant hot dog (who is, as it happens, also [[OddJobGods the god of hot dogs]]).* ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakFastCereal'':** DoubleSubverted: It's not Death, it's just a guy with a scythe. However, since he's here to kill you, Death comes next.** {{Inverted}} in 3442: Death's brother Life has a pink robe and a smiley face for a head, and he brings a new life.* ''WebComic/DangerouslyChloe'': Alchemy is an unusual example. While she obviously ''isn't'' Death, himself (since she's a girl), she ''is'' in [[PunchClockVillain the same]] [[http://www.dangerouslychloe.com/strips-dc/the_link_is_fragile line of work.]] That is, when she isn't busy [[spoiler: [[http://www.dangerouslychloe.com/strips-dc/like_an_idiot twerking]]]].* In ''Webcomic/{{Housepets}}'', Cerberus, the HP interpretation of ClassicalMythology's 3-headed canine, takes on the role, mostly serving in the [[DontFearTheReaper benign guide to the afterlife]] version, with the reason that [[http://www.housepetscomic.com/2013/03/18/hereafter-thereafter/ she never got to work with children]] given her previous job as one of heaven's guards.* A recurring character in ''Webcomic/PrincessChroma''. He's [[DontFearTheReaper not such a bad guy]], he just happens to be hired by June's mom to threaten her into getting her homework done.* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' Elan [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0718.html mistakes]] the albino lizardfolk Malack (who also wears a black cloak as an {{expy}} to [[StarWars Emperor Palpatine]]) to be the Grim Reaper. He calls him the Lizgreaper when he learns he is a lizardfolk. It makes some amount of sense (at least the amount we can expect from [[TheDitz Elan]]) as CelestialBureaucracy is canon, he was knocked out in a battle before being escorted to Malack, who heals him then tells him some words which makes some assumptions in Elan.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Originals]]* In ''Roleplay/TheGamersAlliance'', the Grim Reaper is a skeletal figure in a black cloak who wields a soul-harvesting scythe and who works for Death. He's also a DeadpanSnarker who loves strawberry jam.* The Grim Reaper recounts his experiences in ''[[http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/72146 The Grim Reaper Show]]'', where's he portrayed as a sardonic wisecracker. There are five current installments.* A rather adorable version of the Grim Reaper appears to collect a body in ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaKxLJLj19E Death Buy Lemonade]]''.* Is challenged to a boxing match in For the Glory, a story in TheWanderersLibrary* In ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyDjEfUha0g Mortys]]'' the Grim Reaper is a woman with a rather noughty son.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': Death comes to collect Peter, but sprains his ankle. He'll rest, recuperate and spare Peter if he'll take over his route, part of which requires he kill off the entire cast of the TV show ''Series/DawsonsCreek''. Peter is [[ObliviousGuiltSlinging too guilty to kill them]] after hearing the line from their theme song, ''I don't wanna wait for our lives to be over...''** Death is portrayed as an okay guy who just kills people with a touch of his hand. He can time travel, see the future, and yet can't find love. Oh, he also lives with his mother.* In one ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' TreehouseOfHorror, Homer Simpson kills the Grim Reaper, [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt then becomes the Reaper himself]], and enjoys abusing his power--until he's asked to claim Marge. The segment ends with a car chase between Homer and {{God}}, and Homer escapes with a ''DukesOfHazzard'' jump across a railway track, just before the train.** In another Treehouse of Horror, the Grim Reader makes an appearance as the judge at a Hell Court, judging whether the Devil owns Homer's soul or not (he sold it for a donut). Makes sense really, as death is equal and unbiased, like how a judge should be.* In ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' the grim reaper is named "Grim" and, after [[ChessWithDeath losing a limbo contest to Mandy]], is now the children's friend/slave until they decide to let him go. He also has an inexplicable (yet oddly fitting) Jamaican accent. During a brief {{crossover}} gag, cheerfully innocent GenkiGirl Kuki Sanban, [[CodenameKidsNextDoor aka Numbuh Three]], is recruited by the underworld as a temporary replacement reaper for Grim. Going from CloudcuckooLander to NightmareFuelStationAttendant turns out to be just a short hop for Kuki...--->'''Numbuh Three:''' Thanks to you, in addition to my charity work and my love of Rainbow Monkeys, I can now also reap the immortal souls of grown-ups, collecting my ''dark harvest'' with a ''cold, iron'' blade! Yay, that'll be fun!* Death appears in ''ChillyBeach'' to take away Dale, who opts to [[ChessWithDeath challenge him]]. Then proceeds to annoy death by taking too long to pick what game they're going to play. Leading to this exchange:--->'''Death:''' "CHOOSE! or I shall choose for you!"--->'''Dale:''' [panicked] "Uh, hockey!"--->'''Death:''' "Very well." [summons a hockey rink and puck, then proceeds to slapshot said puck into the goal so fast it buns a hole through the net] "...By the way, hockey is what ''I'' would have chosen."--->'''Dale:''' "Aw, crap."* Death also had the misfortune of having to collect one [[WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}} Wakko Warner]], after an unfortunate incident involving a Swedish Meatball overdose. His siblings, Yakko and Dot, had to tag along to avoid breaking up the family. After a chaotic game of checkers (the Warners not being up to Chess), they became attached to Death Itself, whom they affecionately called "Daddoo." Finally, Death decided to restore them to life, remarking that he would not be back till the end of their natural lives, which he added he hoped would not be for a ''very'' long time.* The Monkey King poses as the Grim Reaper in ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'', in order to kill Jackie. While proving himself to be extremely good at wielding a scythe, he is talked out of killing Jackie that way because "it wouldn't be very funny".* The Reaper appears to have been following [[{{Gorillaz}} Russel Hobbes]] around for most of his life. Russel insists he saw the Reaper during the drive-by shooting which killed all his friends, and actually has photographic evidence of Death looming over him. Rumour also has it that Murdoc's pet raven Cortez was "born in the folds of the Grim Reaper's cloak" - he picked it up in Mexico, a place where ravens don't naturally live in the wild, so there may in fact be something weird going on with it.* ''WesternAnimation/MaryShelleysFrankenhole'' has Death appear, trying his damnedest to stick it to the {{immortal|ity}} Frankenstein. He finally finds a way by episode's end. He vows to ''never'' reap Victor's annoying and elderly children (Victor never gave them the immortality serum), leaving Victor stuck with them forever.* At the very beginning of [[PlutothePup Pluto's]] nightmare in ''Disney/PlutosJudgementDay'', the demonic cat dressed as a policeman who comes to arrest Pluto in his sleep and take him to Hell where his trial will take place is presumably this character.* In ''RockosModernLife'', Rocko's car dies, and is escorted to Heaven by the Grim Tow Truck.* Death in RegularShow ([[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids yes he's actually called Death in the show]]) is a recurring villain that constantly goes through various different [[ChessWithDeath competitions over the protagonist's souls]]. He also has a cockney accent, can revive people through loogie's, holds souls in bowling balls, one giant muscular arm that looks like a normal arm when he wears a jacket,and looks a lot like [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Lemmy from Motorhead]].* Death appears in ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' a few times. One sketch where he sends a dying old lady to Heaven, in which Jesus shows up complaining that The Grim Reaper has no place in the Christian religion. So they go to trial with God as the Judge. Another has the [[ArchieComics Archie]] characters going through the events of "Final Destination" which at the end Death shows up, in which Veronica pays him to spare her and kill everyone else. [[/folder]]

[[folder:Multiple Media]]* In the ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'', Death is female with a bit of a sick attitude toward life. On at least one occasion she interacts with the Doctor and his companions, even making a deal with him that involves him murdering someone. According to ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'', the Master is "Death's Champion". WordOfGod is that the Time Lord "gods" are just bored [[SufficientlyAdvancedAliens Eternals]], which may mean she isn't actually ''the'' Grim Reaper.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]* The Grim Reaper doesn't come any cuter and cuddlier than the [[http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/4/328 Kitty of Doom]]* The grim reaper is commonly depicted on the Death card of [[TarotMotifs Tarot decks]] (although it represents change rather than death).* There was once a roller coaster at Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, PA called the "Steel Phantom", whose mascot was the Grim Reaper. It was torn down, supposedly for being extremely dangerous. When a new coaster, "the Phantom's Revenge", was being built in its place, there were commercials featuring [[DeathTakesAHoliday the Grim Reaper going tanning and generally relaxing]], waiting to go back to work.** It wasn't so much as torn down as large sections (such as the loops) were removed and replaced, the first hill made larger, etc. It wasn't really dangerous, it just wasn't the record holder it once was and was drawing less crowds. Also he wasn't the Grim Reaper, he was known as "The Phantom"* If you happen to see Creator/TheWeatherChannel's Jim Cantore with a crew in your neighborhood [[DoomedHometown well... sorry for your loss.]]** One [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48r4IQTB3NE&feature=relmfu commercial]] has Cantore showing up at a beach on a nice summer day for vacation. Everyone there, knowing who he is, starts evacuating the beach as soon as they lay eyes on him.* Back in the late 80's, a prankster with a twisted sense of humour was arrested for hanging around old people's carehomes dressed up as the Grim Reaper.[[/folder]]------>'''[[JustForFun/StatlerAndWaldorf Statler:]]''' Someone should send the Grim Reaper to the writer of this script!-->'''[[Literature/{{Discworld}} Death]]:''' [[AC:I visit the writer of ''every'' script.]]-->'''Statler:''' Do-ho-ho... huh? [[OhCrap Waldorf...]] [[FridgeHorror WALDORF?]]----